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The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris: an International Law Perspective

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The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris: an International Law Perspective The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris: An International Law Perspective A Study by Adele J. Kirschner and Katrin Tiroch* A. von Bogdandy and R. Wolfrum, (eds.), Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law, Volume 16, 2012, p. 329-394. © 2012 Koninklijke Brill N.V. * This Study was written as part of the MPIL Global Knowledge Transfer project on “Water Conflicts in International Law” financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, see <www.mpil.de/red/water>. The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Rüdiger Wolfrum, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Beyerlin and Dr. Tilmann Röder for their invaluable comments on the article. Special thanks also go to Nicolas Bremer, Jie-Yoon Kim and David Reichwein for their kind assistance. 330 Max Planck UNYB 16 (2012) I. Introduction II. Geography, Climate and Hydrological Setting 1. Geography a. The Euphrates b. The Tigris 2. Climate 3. Hydrological Setting III. Utilization of the Rivers and Development Plans 1. Iraq 2. Syria 3. Turkey 4. Conclusion IV. Historical Overview on Water Politics in the Euphrates and Tigris Region 1. Developments before World War II 2. Developments after World War II V. International Law in the Euphrates and Tigris Region 1. International Water Law a. Introduction b. Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of an International Water- course c. Obligation not to Cause Harm d. Procedural Obligations e. Environmental Protection f. Groundwater g. Vital Human Needs h. Water Principles in Islamic Law 2. Bilateral Agreements a. Water Sharing Agreements before the 1990s aa. Turkey and Iraq bb. Syria and Turkey cc. Iraq and Syria b. Developments after 2000 VI. Contentious Issues 1. Euphrates and Tigris: Two Separate Rivers or One Integrated System? 2. Terminology 3. Different Ideas about Criteria to Determine Water Needs 4. Turkish Position with Regard to the 1997 UN Watercourses Conven- tion: Turkey as Persistent Objector to Customary International Law? VII. Proposed Solutions 1. Syria and Iraq 2. Turkey a. Three Stages Plan for Optimum, Equitable and Reasonable Utili- zation of the Transboundary Watercourse of the Euphrates Basin (Three Stages Plan) b. The Peace Pipeline VIII. Elements to be Considered for a Future Framework Kirschner/ Tiroch, The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris 331 1. Why do Iraq, Syria and Turkey Need a Trilateral Water Agreement? 2. Elements to be Considered in a Trilateral Agreement a. General Remarks on Issues Essential for a Successful and Above All Sustainable Water Agreement b. Key Components IX. Conclusion 332 Max Planck UNYB 16 (2012) Abstract Competition over the scant resource water has been a recurring source of conflict between Iraq, Syria and Turkey, all three being riparian states of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Despite several attempts at a com- mon management of both watercourses, negotiations have not yet led to a final agreement. However, an equitable and sustainable allocation of this natural resource among the different countries would prove beneficial to all. This article examines the relations between Iraq, Syria and Turkey with regard to their shared rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, from an international law perspective. It starts by giving an overview of the utilization and development of the rivers and a history of the water dis- pute. The authors then analyze the relevant law applicable in the region from a global and regional perspective and present the conflicting posi- tions of the riparians by describing the underlying problems of the con- flict. Then different solutions which have been proposed by the ripari- ans are evaluated. Finally, the authors propose elements to be consid- ered in a future sharing agreement, and give a short conclusion. Keywords International Water Law; Euphrates and Tigris Rivers; International Watercourses; Equitable Utilization of Shared Resources I. Introduction Water is a scant resource. Although water covers about two thirds of the earth’s surface only about three per cent of this water is fresh water. In turn, the majority of this water is hardly accessible and distributed unequally. Whereas some regions have abundant water resources, oth- ers suffer from extreme scarcity. In light of growing water consumption and a steadily increasing world population, water is becoming ever more important and has an ever greater significance. Kirschner/ Tiroch, The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris 333 The question of water distribution and use is also of utmost impor- tance for the Euphrates and Tigris region which has been struggling with water scarcity along with an increasing water demand for a long time. Competition over this scant resource has been a recurring source of conflict between the main riparian states Iraq, Syria and Turkey. De- spite several attempts at a common management of both watercourses, negotiations have not yet led to a final agreement. However, an equita- ble and sustainable allocation of this natural resource among the differ- ent countries would prove beneficial to all. This article examines the relations between Iraq, Syria and Turkey with regard to their shared rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, from an international law perspective. It commences with a short overview on the geography, climate and hydrological setting (II.), as well as on the utilization and development of the rivers (III.). The subsequent parts then focus on the history of the water dispute (IV.) and an analysis of the relevant law on a global and regional level (V.). Against this back- ground the article then discusses the conflicting positions of the ripari- ans by describing the underlying problems of the conflict (VI.). Finally different solutions which have been proposed by the riparians will be evaluated (VII.). The authors then conclude with a proposal for ele- ments to be considered in a future sharing agreement (VIII.) and by giv- ing a short conclusion (IX.). II. Geography, Climate and Hydrological Setting The following section will give a brief overview of the physical setting of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. This includes the geography, climate and hydrology of the region. The consideration of the rivers’ physical characteristics is a prerequisite for understanding the setting in which the riparian states operate. 1. Geography The two rivers both originate in the mountainous region of southern Anatolia in eastern Turkey, with their sources lying barely 30 kilome- ters apart. The drainage basin1 of the Euphrates is said to lie 28 per cent 1 A drainage basin (also called catchment; catchment area; drainage area; river basin; watershed) is regarded as the entire drainage area of a stream, a 334 Max Planck UNYB 16 (2012) in Turkey, 17 per cent in Syria, 40 per cent in Iraq and 15 per cent in Saudi Arabia.2 The Tigris drainage basin is described to stretch into Turkey (12 per cent), Syria (0.2 per cent), Iraq (54 per cent) and Iran (34 per cent). Although Saudi Arabia and Iran are frequently listed as drainage basin states,3 they are usually not included in studies of the ba- sin. This is due to the fact that the Saudi Arabian tributary is said to dry up in summer months and Iran has so far not made much use of the wa- ters of the Tigris due to the difficult geographic and climatic conditions of the region.4 Even though the Euphrates and the Tigris flow sepa- rately for the largest part, they are commonly considered together in studies.5 Both rivers merge in their last 190 kilometers, forming the Shatt al-Arab6 before flowing into the Persian Gulf. They are also con- nected by the man-made Thartar Canal in central Iraq. a. The Euphrates The Euphrates is noted to be between approximately 2,700 and 3,000 kilometers long, making it the longest river in southwest Asia west of river or a lake; UNESCO/ WMO, International Glossary of Hydrology, see under <http://webworld.unesco.org> EN 0360, EN 0115. 2 T. Naff/ R.C. Matson, Water in the Middle East: Conflict or Cooperation?, 1984, 83. 3 See for example J.A. Allan, The Middle East Water Question: Hydropolitics and the Global Economy, 2008, 70 et seq.; Naff/ Matson, see note 2, 83. 4 Reportedly Iran is, however, planning or has even already constructed sev- eral dams on tributaries of the Tigris and the Shatt al-Arab. Yet, current in- formation regarding development plans in Iran is very hard to obtain; see I. Kaya, “The Euphrates-Tigris Basin: An Overview and Opportunities for Cooperation under International Law”, University of Arizona Arid Lands Newsletter 44 (1998), see under <http://ag.arizona.edu>; S. Harms, Branchenreport Wasser, Wirtschaftsplattform Irak 2010, Chapter 3, see un- der <http://www.wp-irak.de>. 5 Some authors even claim that both rivers form a single hydrological unit; see A. Kibaroglu, Building a Regime for the Waters of the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin, 2002, 160; N. Kliot, Water Resources and Conflict in the Mid- dle East, 2005, 100; H. Elver, Peaceful Uses of International Rivers: The Euphrates and Tigris Dispute, 2002, 346. On this issue see under VI.1. 6 On this issue, see R. Moschtaghi, “Shatt al Arab”, in: R. Wolfrum (ed.), Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 2012; D.A. Capon- era, “The Legal Status of the Shatt-al-Arab (Tigris and Euphrates) River Basin”, Austrian J. Publ. Int’l Law 45 (1993), 147 et seq. Kirschner/ Tiroch, The Waters of Euphrates and Tigris 335 the Indus.7 After the two rivers Kara-Su and Murat Su flow together in eastern Turkey to form the Euphrates, the river enters northwestern Syria before flowing down the length of Iraq on its way to the sea. While the drainage basin of the Euphrates is shared by five states, only two states significantly contribute to its water supply.8 The Euphrates receives most of its waters from Turkey supplying it with 88 per cent of the river’s flow.9 While Syria contributes an additional 11 per cent, the remaining riparian Iraq hardly contributes to the water volume.10 b.
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